Chapter 2

She sobbed, her voice shaking, as if I were some kind of unforgivable demon.

"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have come here."

Her performance was flawless.

The perfect, innocent victim.

And I was the cruel Luna, using my status to bully the weak.

That tiny flicker of doubt in Kael’s eyes was instantly replaced by irritation.

"Elara, that's enough," he said, his voice cold as ice. "When are you going to stop this?"

The guests around us started whispering.

"How could the Luna treat an Omega like that?"

"It's disgusting. She's using her bloodline to bully a helpless Omega."

"Kael is just looking out for a pack member. Elara is being cruel."

Every word was another excuse for his betrayal.

And I was the villain who couldn't see the bigger picture.

"Fine," I said calmly. "In that case, I won't bring up the Mating Ceremony again."

I raised my hand and slowly unclasped the moonstone pendant from my neck.

It was a beautiful piece passed down from my mother, engraved with my initials: E.M.

The stone shimmered with a soft light, as gentle as my mother's eyes.

Kael’s own mother had placed it around my neck during my coming-of-age ceremony.

It was the symbol of the future Luna—the mark of our betrothal.

"Then take this back," I said, holding the pendant out to Kael. "And I want the obsidian cufflinks my mother gave you back."

Those cufflinks were my mother's most prized possession.

Before she died, she gave them to Kael herself as a symbol of his vow to protect me.

He had never taken them off since he received them on his eighteenth birthday.

He wore them even to his most important business deals.

Kael’s gaze fell to the blood-streaked pendant in my palm. His throat worked, and he pushed my hand away.

"What are you doing? I told you we'll have the ceremony eventually. It's just... a special situation right now..."

The same old excuse.

But I was done with it. I was done watching the Alpha I loved dote on another woman.

I turned and walked away.

Behind me, I heard Dahlia’s soft sobs and Kael’s gentle reassurances.

"It's okay, Dahlia. No one will bully you again. I'll protect you."

My heels clicked on the floor as I walked out of the party.

It was late when I returned to the family estate.

The living room lights were still on. My brother, Liam, was waiting for me on the sofa.

"Elara, you're back." He saw the cut on my arm and frowned. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

"It's nothing," I said coldly. "If you have something to say, just say it."

Liam picked up a document from the coffee table, his expression hesitant.

"There's something I need to discuss with you. That commercial plot of land downtown that Mom left us... I was thinking… of transferring it into Dahlia's name."

I froze.

That land was priceless. The rent alone brought in millions every year.

It was our mother’s legacy. One of the foundations of our family.

"What did you just say?" I stared at him in disbelief.

"Dahlia's in a tough spot right now. She needs some security," Liam said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Besides, this will help her secure her standing in the pack, so people stop gossiping about her."

My nose stung. I fought the urge to rip the papers to shreds and stared hard into his eyes.

"That's Mom's legacy! How could you—"

"Elara!" Liam’s face flushed, and he stood up as if to prove he was right. "Can't you be a little more generous? Do you remember what happened at the training grounds last month? You 'accidentally' pushed Dahlia off the platform. She was in the hospital for three days!"

"I did not—"

"Enough!" Liam cut me off. "You're always like this. You can never admit when you're wrong."

He took a deep breath, his tone turning harsh.

"Before Mom died, she made me promise to always protect your position as Luna. But she also taught us to be kind. Sharing my protection with another pack member who is alone and helpless isn't asking too much. You should learn from Dahlia's resilience instead of just being jealous of her."

I wanted to laugh, but tears welled up first.

"Liam. No one is touching Mom's things. If you want to give Dahlia something, fine. Give her anything you want from Dad's side of the family."

"There’s nothing left of Dad’s assets…"

Liam suddenly went quiet.

He was right. Ever since our father also fell for an Omega, was there anything good left for us?

I threw the document in the trash and turned to go upstairs. "Mom's memorial is in a few days. Don't forget."

"How could I forget?" Liam forced a smile. "Get some rest. I have some pack business to take care of."

I didn't answer. I didn't look back.

I didn't sleep that night.

I walked through the house that held all our memories and purged every last one.

The photos of our childhood, I tossed them into the fireplace one by one, the flames reflecting on my numb face.

All the gifts he'd ever given me—the beautiful dresses, the precious jewelry—I packed them all up and sent them to an orphanage.

Finally, I sat in the empty room all night, clutching our mother's portrait.

This house was a gift from my grandfather to my mother when she and my father were mated.

After she died, Liam and I couldn't bear to leave.

Later, our father moved out with that Omega. Liam started coming home less and less.

Kael used to climb through my window every single night.

But now, I was the only one left.

I cried until I had nothing left, finally passing out in a pool of my own tears.

The day after my birthday was the anniversary of my mother's death.

She had held on just long enough to see me celebrate my birthday before she passed.

I had cried until I nearly passed out.

Kael had stayed by my side twenty-four hours a day, refusing to leave me.

He was with me for the next eight years, for every single one of those birthdays.

This was the first one he missed. But it didn't matter anymore.

Kael didn’t show up.

But Dahlia’s social media feed blew up all night.

In the photos, Kael and Liam flanked Dahlia like she was the center of the universe.

She wore a pink birthday dress and a delicate diamond tiara.

Kael’s caption read, “Happy birthday to our little princess.” The words were acid in my throat.

My birthday had become her coronation.

I stared at the gentle smile on Kael’s face in the photo.

The smile that used to be only for me now belonged to someone else.

On a day that was supposed to be about us, he chose to celebrate another woman’s birthday.

I turned off my phone and walked out onto the balcony.

The moon hung high in the sky, casting a silver glow over the earth.

I knelt on the cold stone and clasped my hands together.

"Moon Goddess," I prayed, "I beg you. Shatter these chains they call love."